Flexible rule.



A. E. HEGARDT.

FLEXIBLE RULE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.29, 1914.

1,147,722@ Patented July 27, 1915.

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v AXEL E. HEGARDT, OF PI-IILADELPH I'A, PENNSYL ANIA.

FLEXIBLE new.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AxnL E. HEGARDT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flexible Rules, of which the followlng 1s a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in flexible rules, the object of the inventlon being to provide a rule which may be positioned in any desired shape to give any curv- A further object is to provide a flexible rule which may have equal flexibihty in both directions and which may be securely locked in any shape. q v

,lVith these and other objects in view, the invention consistsin certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts as will be more fully hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying"drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view showingthe rule straight, and having one end of the rule in section to illustrate details of construction. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the rule curved. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view in transverse section on the line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a similar view on the line 44 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 is a fragmentary View in side elevation of the ruling strip 5.

1 represents a strip of hard rubber or other flexible material such for example as celluloid or other composition which is capable of bending without breaking. The strip 1 is provided in both edges with 1n- 'wardly projecting recesses 2, the recesses in one edge having a staggered relationship to the recesses in the other edge. As the rerecesses 2 are of a length appreciably greater than one half of the thickness of the strip, the inner ends of the recesses of the two series extend beyond the longitudinal axis of the strip, and give great flexibility to the rule in bending in either direction.

The ruling edge of strip 1' is provided with a dove-tailed groove 3 to receive a dove-tailed flange 4 on a ruling strip 5. The body strip 1 is beveled or inclined on itsupper face at its ruling edge as shown at 6, and

the ruling strip 5 corresponds in Width to the width of the body strip 1 at the ruling edge. The opposite edge of the body strip Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented'July-27, 1915;

Application file cl' September 29, 1914. Serial N 0. 864,021.

1 is provided with a dove-tailed recess 7 in which a wire 8 is located, the wire being appreci'ably greater in diameter than the open end ofthe dove-tailed recess, so that it is held securely in the recess. The wire 8 is preferably of lead or other similar materialwhich will remain in the positionto which it is bent, and hence hold the rule in the curvaturedesired." v

- The ruling strip 5 and the wire 8, at one end, are secured byremovable securing devices 9 which may' constitute nails, screws, or other securing devices. Thesesecuring devices are projected through the strip 5 and wire 8 respectively, and into the main portion of the body strip 1. The securing de vices are at one end only of the rule, the other ends of the ruling strip'and the wire being free to move longitudinally of the body strip, and it will be noted that the end of the body strip opposite to the point of attachment of the strip; and wire is formed without any recesses 2 for an appreciable distance. This permits the inclosure of the ends of. the wire and the dove-tailed flange 3 of the strip, and allows the parts to be moved freely without any possibility of the ends of the strip or wire abutting against a shoulder. In order that the-ruling strip 5 may be as flexible as desired, I provide recesses 14 in the dove-tailed flange 4:.

To securely lock the rule in any position of adjustment, I provide cam levers 10 located in recesses 11 in the edge of body strip 1, and mounted to turn on the wire 8. These cam levers engage the inner walls 12 of the recesses 11, and securely bind soas to hold the wire against possibility of longitudinal movement, and hence maintain the rule as desired. Finger holds 13 are provided on the ends of the cam levers, which preferably lie against the upper surface of the rule Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A rule comprising a flexible strip having recesses in its opposite edges, a ruling strip movable longitudinally at one edge of the first-mentioned strip, and means for positively locking the rule in any position, substantially as described.

2. A rule comprising a flexible strip having recesses in opposite edges, a ruling strip movable longitudinally at one edge of the first-mentioned strip, and a locking Wire at the other edge of the first-mentioned strip, substantially as. described.

3. A rule comprising a flexible strip having recesses in opposite edges, a ruling strip movable longitudinally at one edge of the first-mentioned strip, a locking Wire at the other edge of the first-mentioned strip, said ruling strip having a dove-tailed flange, and said first-mentioned strip having dove-tailed recesses in its edges, one recess receiving the dovetailed flange and the other the Wire, substantially as described.

4:. A rule comprising a flexible strip having recesses in opposite edges, a ruling strip movable longitudinally at one edge of the first-mentioned strip, a locking Wire at the other edge of the first-mentioned strip, and devices constructed to lock the Wire against longitudinal movement and hold the firstmentioned strip in any position of adjust ment, substantially as described.

5. A rule comprising a flexible strip having recesses in opposite edges, a ruling strip movable longitudinally at one edge of the first-mentioned strip, a locking Wire at the other edge of the first-mentioned strip, said ruling strip having a dove-tailed flange,

and said first-mentioned strip having dovetailed recesses in its edges, one recess receiving the dove-tailed flange and the other the Wire, and devices constructed to lock the Wire against longitudinal movement and hold the first-mentioned strip in any position of adjustment, substantially as described.

6. A rule comprising a flexible strip hav ing recesses in opposite edges, a ruling strip movable longitudinally at one edge or" the first-mentioned strip, a locking Wire at the other edge of the first-mentioned strip, and devices at one end of the first-mentioned strip removably securing the ruling strip and the Wire thereto, substantially as de scribed.

7. A rule comprising a fleXible strip hav ing recesses in opposite edges, a ruling strip movable longitudinally at one edge of the first-mentioned strip, a locking Wire at the other edge of the first-mentioned strip, said ruling strip having a clove-tailed flange, said flange having a longitudinal series or recesses therein, and said first-mentioned strip having dove-tailed recesses in its edges, one recess receiving the dove-tailed flange and the other the Wire, and devices con structed to lock the Wire against longitudinal movement and hold the first-mentioned strip in any position of adjustment, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

AXEL E. HEGARDT.

Witnesses:

M. E. DITTUS, CHAS. E. Poms.

Copies of this pat ent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

